Recoil and run-out apparatus for ordnance



Aug. 2`, 1928.

A. T. DAWSON' ET AL RECOIL AND RUN-OUT APPARATUS FOR ORDNANCE FiledApril 8,- 1927 Patertecl` Aug. 21, 1928.

v UNETED *starts .emr t ABTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AENDGEOEGE* oMAs BucKHAM,or WESTMINSTER,

- LONDON, ENGLAND, Assrex ons ro VICKERS LIMITED, or WESTMINSTEB, ENG-LAND.

REcorL ND RUNTOUT APPARATS Fon OEDNANCE.

Application filedAprl s, 1927; serial No. 181334, ami in Great BritainApril 13, 1926.

invention relates to ordnance recoil' and run-out apparatus of the kindemployin'g a p'n'eumatic reuperator the interier of which 'does notcommunicate with the' inte- 6 rior of the recoil cylinder so that *thereis no transfer of liquid from; the re'coil 'cylinder to 'the recuperatorcylinder during the recoil'of t he' un. p p e Accordin tothe inventionthe air in the recuperator cylinder is compressed, during the 'reco'ilof the gun, by the entry of a hollow ram into the firecuperatorcylinder, this ram i preferabl having V a rod which passes through t eend of the said recuperator cylinder. This cylinder is prefe'rablyattached to the gunso as to recoiltherewith ;and the hollow ram is heldstationary during' the recoil and run-out movements of the gun bythe rodwhich 'is' attached at `'its front end to the front cap of the gunCradle. 'There is a gland for'the saidhollow ram and alsora gland 'fortherod of this hollow ram and as there is no liquid in the recuperatorcylinder these glands are maintained tight by .li'quid 'obtained from asmall intensifying cylinder of the usual kind having a differential'piston the larger area surface of which is in' communication with theair in the recuperator. cylinder and the smaller area surface is incontact with the liquid.

A non-return Valve 'controlled by a spring may beprovided at the frontend of the hollow raniso that on recoil of the gun a portion of the airfrom the' recuperator cylinder hollow ram g where fit is temporarily im-'prisoned underpressure; the said valve has 'one or more small hole'sformed therein'so as to ermit the 'compressed air imprisoned in thehollow ram to escape at a predetermined slow rate into .the recuper'ator'cylinder during 'the runont of the gun in order to control the speed oflthe i'un out movement. In order that the said invention may be clearlyunderstood and readily carried into effeot, the' same willnowpbedescribed; more fully with reference 'to the accompanyi'ngdrawings, which Fgu' 'l is a horizontal section take aplproximately onthe linel, 1 of Figure 2, of a form of rec'oil 'and 'run out apparatusconstrucjted according to this invention, ;and

Figure is a tran'sversesection takenappro'Ximatelyj on 'the line 2 2 ofFigure l In the onstruction shewn A is a forging y or casting bored withtwo main cylinders B and C. The former cylinder constitutes the recoilcylinder to receive the recoil 'piston' B the rod b of which isconnected at its front end to the front cap D of! the gun does notcommunicate with 'the recoil cylinder B at all and. which slidablyreceives a hollow ram E connected by means of a rod E to the 'gun Cradlecap D so that this hollow ram remains stationary during the mov ements'of the forging or casting A "when the gun recols and returns to 'thefiring po i sition. The said hollow ram E and the' rod E? pass throughglands e, 6 and as thereis no liquid in the cylinder C these glands aremaintained tight hy liquid obtained from a small intensifyng cylinder Fformed in' theforging or; casting A. This cylinderre' ceiv'esdifferentialpisten' F the rod "f of which pass'es through a gland Thelarger o'r rear surface of this pisten is acted upon bythe air in thecylinder C through a hole 7 and the smaller or' front surface of thepston acts on liquid in the front part of the cylinder to force thisIiqu'd, 'at a higher pressure than the air pressure *obt aining in.thecylinder C, into the' glands 6,6 for ,which purpose the gland ecommunicates withthe front part .ofthe cylinder F by a hole e (Figure 2)in the forging or casting` A (or hy apipe) and the gland e communicatesWith the said part of the and 'viewedfr'o'm 'the left of the l'atte'rfigure. aspring. y This Valve Controls an opening be finished therun-out movement is started by the 'air compressed in the cylinderv Cand is completed by thecompressed air in the hollow ram E which escapesat a certainslow rate into the cylinder C and the speed of run out ofthe gun is thus controlled. v v

H indicates a liquid replenishing chamber for therecoil cylinder B, thischamber being formed in the forging or casting A and com: municatingwith a holeh (Figure 2), or with a pipe, leading to the rear end of thesaid cylinder. a

Instead of the central rod E for attaching the hollow ram E to thecradle cap D, two ormore'external rods may be used, or the rear end ofthe ram may have a thrust bracket which is securedto the cradle. Fur

thermore although in the preferred con structionthe cylindersB and Crecoil with the gun and the pistonB 'and ramE remain stationary, thereverse arrangement could be tused, that is to say 'the piston B and theto enter therecuperator cylinder during the recoil of the gun. so as tocompress the air in said recuperator cylinder and the interior ofwhichcommunicates with the interor of the recuperator cylinder so as to actas a reservoir for compressedv ar;

2. .Ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus comprising a recoil cylinder,a pneumatic recuperator the interier` ofwhich 'does not communicate;with the interior of the recoil cylinder, a hollow ram which is causedtoenter the recuperator cylinder during the recoil of the gun so as tocompress the air in saidrecuperator 'cylinder andfthe interiorcommunicate with the interiorof the recoil cylinder, means for connectngsaicl recuper- .ator cylinder to the gun,' a hollow ram which is causedto enter the recuperator cylinder during the recoil of the gun so as tocom-` press the air in said. recuperator cylinder and the interior ofwhich communicates with the interier of the, recuperatorcylinder so asto act asfa reservoir for compres'sed air, and means" for attaching saidhollow ram' to 'the gun Cradle. v v

"4. Ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus .comprising a recoil cylinder,a pneumatic recuper'a'tor the interier of which 'does not communicatewith. the interier of the recoil cylnder, means for connectn saidrecu'per:

ator cylinderto the gun, a hol ow ram which is .caused toenterthe recuperator cyh'nder during the recoil of the gun so as to compress theair. in said reciiperator` cylinder' and. the interior of. which;communicates with the interier of the recuperator cylinder so as to actas areservoir for compressed air, a rod on said hollow ram, said rodproectng through the end ofsad'recuperato'r -cylinder, and .meansforlattaching said rod i to the gun Cradle@ h V t V 5. In'ordnancerecoil andrunv-out apparatus,- he: combination with fthemelements u V claimed in claim I, of a glandbetween the" recuperatorcylnder. and the hollow ram; and an intensifying device'fsupplyingliquid to said'gland. r W

6. 'In ordnancerecoilf and `r'un-outappae ratus, the tcombination withthe elements claimed in 'claim 1,' of a glandbetween the recuperatorc'ylinder andthe hollow ram,

an intensi'fying cylinder, a difl'ere'ntial pistoninsaid cylinder,the'larger area of this piston beingtin' contact with the air in therecuperator vcylinder andthe smaller'area being gland.

7. ratus, the combination, with the elements claimed in claim 2, ofafglandbetween the recuperator cylinder and the hollow ram, a

gland between .the recuperator cylinder and' the rod of the, ram, and anintensifying de- ;vice supplying liquid to said glands; i

in contact with liquid supplied to the In ordnance recoil andrun-outappa- ,v

8. Inordnancerecoil and run-out appa- ,i

ratus, v the combination with the elements claimedin claim 2, of a glandbetween 'the recuperator cylinder and thehollow' rama gland between therecuperator cylinder and therod of the ram, an intensifyingc linder, adifferential' piston in said-cylin er. the larger area of this pistonbeing in contact with' theair in the recuperator`.cy1inder and the,smaller area being in'contac't with liquid supplied-to the glands. u

9. In-ordnance recoil and' run-out appuratus, the combination withtheelements claimedin `claim 1, 'of a spring-controlled valve between.the recuperafcor ,cylinderl and the hollow ram said ,valve enabling aportion of` the air from ,the recuperator cylinder to enter the hollowram during the. `recoil of the gun and to be tempo'rarily imprisoned in;i

said hollow ram. 3

iso

. tion of the air from the recuperator cylinclaimed in claim 3, of aspring-controlled` valve between the recuperator cylinder and the hollowram, said valve enabling a portion of the air from the recuperatorcylinder to enter the hollow ram during the recoil of the gun and to betemporarily imprisoned in said hollow ram.

12. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination'with the'elements claimed in claim 4, of a spring-controlled valve between therecuperator cylinder and the hollow ram, said Valve enabling a portionof the air from the recuperator cylinder to enter the hollov\ ram duringthe recoil of the gun and to be temporarily imprisoned in said hollowram.

13. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim 1, of a spring-controlled valve between therecuperator cylinder and the hollow ram, said valve enabling a porde' toenter the hollow ram during the recoil of the gun and being-formed withat least one small hole to permit the compressed air temporarilyimprisoned in the hollow ram to escape at a slow rate intotherecuperator cylinder during the run-out movement of the gun. i

14. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim 2, of a spring-controlled valve between therecuperator cylinder `and the hollow ram, said valve enabling a portionof the air from the recuperator cylinder to enter the hollow ram duringthe recoil of the gun and being formed with at least one small hole topermit the compressed air temporarily imprisonedin the hollow ram toescape at a slow rate into' the recuperator cylinder during the run-outmovement of the gun'.

' 15. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim 3, of a' spring-controlled ValVe between therecuperator cylinder and the hollow ram, said valve enabling a portionof the air'from the recuperator cylinder to enter the hollow ram duringthe recoil of the 'gun and being formed With at least one small hole topermit the compressed 'air temporarily imprisoned in the hollow ram toescape at a slow rate into the recuperator cylinder during the run-outmovement of the gun. v

16. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination withtheelements 'claimed in claim 4, of a spring-controlled Valve betweenthe recuperator cylinder and the hollow ram, said valve enabling a'portion of the air from the recuperator cylinder to enter the hollow ramduring the recoil of the gun and being formed with at least one smallhole to 'permit the compressed air `temporarily imprisoned in the hollowram to escape at a slow rate into the recuperator cylinder during therun-out movement of the I i gun.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

